𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 , charles leclerc

⇢ 09. fast thoughts

TWO GHOSTS.
09. ❛ fast thoughts. ❜

IT WAS RACE DAY.

The atmosphere at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was electric as Spanish fans roared and cheered from their seats even if the race had yet to start.

Charles Leclerc was hidden away in his little nook at the Ferrari garage, already suited up half an hour before the race. He had his racing helmet on, visor down (though there was no reason to have it on that early), and sat reviewing and adding to his race notes, as a student would five minutes before a test.

He was so laser-focused and adrenaline-ridden that time had slipped from his grasp, and soon found himself being told to get in his scarlet red car. This was one of the best seasons he's ever had in his racing career. He and Max Verstappen were battling for the world championship, and at the moment, Charles was second, something he didn't take a liking to. But as luck would have it, he was starting on the front row today, meaning he had a chance of not only leading the race but winning it.

"Charles, did you hear me?" Charles' personal trainer and friend, Andrea Ferrari, stood before him with his brows knitted.

"Désolé, uh, non." Charles sheepishly apologized as he set down his journal and stood up, zipping up the rest of his race suit as he did so, "What did you say?"

Andrea sighed and helped Charles grab his things, slowly walking out of the garage with the driver by his side, "10 minutes until lights out, so you need to get to your car already."

Charles nodded and walked down the paddock, his nerves increasing with each second as he made his way to the grid. It was natural for every driver to spark up with nerves before each race, but when you're neck to neck with the current world champion and fighting for said tile, the nerves and pressure are immediately doubled; depending on the track, it may even be tripled.

Once reaching his car, Charles momentarily talked with his engineers regarding the strategy they were to use. He proceeded to lower himself into the cockpit, mentally and physically preparing for the upcoming race.

As Charles sat in his car, his green eyes focused on the task at hand. Though he often found his mind thinking of the most random shit ever, and sometimes, just sometimes, his mind would wander to a certain red, leather-bound poetry book, which eventually led his thoughts to a girl with blonde hair that fell in soft waves with eyes a blue so pure it would make the world stop turning just to admire the beauty.

Fortunately for Charles, this wasn't one of those days, and his mind was just currently thinking about a song he knew but just couldn't remember the title.

"Radio check, Charles, radio check?" Charles' race engineer, Xavier Marcos, was the one to snap him out of his thoughts the second time. 

"Radio check confirm." Charles nodded and responded to his race engineer even if the man couldn't see him nod and was speaking through their communications system. "I can hear you, Xavi."

Soon after his response, Charles noted that all the crew members had scoured to the track sides, meaning the formation lap was going to start at any second. True to that, the twenty cars started their formation lap, staying in their correct order as they tried to heat up their tires.

Getting back into their grid positions, all twenty cars stopped and stared as the five red lights appeared, the mental clock in each driver's head starting the countdown they knew all too well.